Most fans of the Harry Potter series are immediately excited to see the tattoo on Pankhudi Sinha’s back right shoulder.

In the books and movies, the Expecto Patronum spell is used to summon a guardian and seek protection in times of darkness. Though the words don’t have the same magical effect in real-life, they still evoke feelings of comfort and protection for Sinha.

The arts journalism master’s student got her tattoo last year to make her feel close to home. Since she came to graduate school at Syracuse University all the way from India, she knew she would miss her friends and family back home.

“I just felt like I needed something I could hold on to,” Sinha said. “That’s why I decided to get the tattoo.”

When deciding what to get, she knew she wanted something that would make her think of home and positivity. Choosing something from Harry Potter seemed like a perfect fit, as she was such an avid fan of the books as a child.

“I decided upon Expecto Patronum because it means that when you’re living in the darkest time, you can still find the light,” she said.

Those familiar with the story know this already. Advanced witches and wizards can learn how to cast this spell to ward off Dementors — the darkest creatures in the Harry Potter universe. Get too close to a Dementor, and every happy feeling and memory will be sucked out of you via Dementor’s Kiss, until eventually you are left with a soulless, lifeless body. Author J.K. Rowling has said she created Dementors to symbolize depression.

But the Expecto Patronum spell conjures up a Patronus — a white, glowing figure that wards off the Dementors. In Latin, the words literally mean “I wait for a patron,” or, “I hope for a patron.” To explain this in the simplest of terms, it is conjuring up a protector to fight off darkness and evil.

For Sinha, this is exactly what her tattoo does for her. The graduate student struggles with the dark uncertainty of applying to jobs, all while living over 7,000 miles from home. At times of hardship and uncertainty and doubt, the words shine a flashlight of hope and comfort for her.

“It just brings me back to my childhood and my roots,” Sinha says. “It gives me something to hold on to.”

Published on February 27, 2017 at 9:47 pm

Contact Julie: jlmccu01@syr.edu